Harbor city council extends moratorium on neon sign enforcement

Harbor Springs businesses with neon and lighted signs may continue to use them for at least a little while longer because of an extended moratorium on enforcement of the restricted signs.

Harbor Springs City Council decided to extend the moratorium, which expires today, Tuesday, at its regularly scheduled meeting Monday night.

As the planning commission has been working toward a permanent solution to the issue of lighted signs and neon signs, the city council approved the commission's request for a moratorium on enforcement for those zoning code violations that have existed for some time, according to a document written by city manager Tom Richards that was made available at the meeting.

Council followed Richards' recommendation to extend the moratorium until its Aug. 2 meeting.

Richards said internally lighted signs and neon signs have not been allowed in Harbor Springs for years, but some such signs were in place before there were rules against them.

"The planning commission is working on a new law to permit, but strictly regulate" such signs, Richards said. And the moratorium allows those people who have them to "continue to use them while we work out the rules."

The planning commission is to hold a public hearing on the issue June 27, Richards said. Then it can recommend it to council for passage.

Also during its meeting, council approved a motion to adopt Ordinance No. 378, amending the city code to allow freestanding signs as long as they meet certain requirements. For instance, one freestanding sign is permitted provided the building housing the principal use is located more than 30 feet from the public street sidewalk.

Also on the agenda was consideration of demolition bids for the Shay Reservoir Building.

Council approved a bid by KRG of $12,992 for the demolition of the building. KRG's was the lowest bid.

"It's now just an unnecessary structure there that's been kind of maintained out of, I think, a fondness by some people who live nearby," Richards said of the building.

The building is now empty, flowing artesian wells have been sealed and it has been prepared for demolition, Richards said.

Once the demolition is complete the area where it sits will be made into green space, Richards said. He estimated the demolition will begin in the next few weeks.

"That isn't one I expect will have any impact on the downtown traffic or anything, so we'll be able to do it in the summer time," he said of the demolition.

And council approved a curb radius proposal to install low-profile concrete curbs at nine intersections, which, Richards said, will help protect the intersections and reduce the likelihood of deterioration by snow plowing.

The estimated cost is $16,416. The cost would be an unbudgeted addition to the cost of the Leighton Park water main construction contract and the street repaving contract, according to a document made available at the meeting.

The curbs are to be installed at the four corners of each of the following intersections: where Clark, Perry and Fairview streets intersect with Washington, Perry and Traverse streets, according to the document.

The council agreed to cancel its July 5 meeting, therefore, its next regularly scheduled meeting is July 18.